Swingout panel cabinet



Nov. 6, 1956 Filed March 2, 1953 2. Sheets-Sheet l W: 3 5 NW N l W so 2M L E /1 I H 4 I INVE/YTOR.

ITTOF/VI/T D. L. PETTIT Nov. 6, 1956 SWINGOUT PANEL CABINET 2Sheets-Sheav Filed March 2, 1953 INVENTOR- Jafn Z Z 2"Z ray/v1)-2,769,940 SWHJGOUT PANEL CABINET Dorn-L. Pettit lvfilwaukeegWis.,.assi'gn0r to Square D Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation ofMichigan Application March'2, 1953, Serial No. 339,512 9 Claims. (Cl;317-120) This invention relates to a swingout mounting for apanelsinterior enclosedrwithin an outer cabinet having an openable coveror door.

Cabinet interiors have are providediincluding of the panel at theexterior of the cabinet.

Other objects and readily apparent tothose skilled in the art'from thespeci fication and appended drawings illustrating certain preferredembodiments in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a panel cabinet according-.- to: thepresent invention with the front door shown open.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the panel cabinet with the interiordisconnected from its rigid mounting and tiltedforward abont its loweredge.

Figure 3' isaviewsimilar to Figure 1 with the panel rotated into ahorizontal position with the back upward. Figure 4 is a view similar toFigure 2 with the panel rotated through approximately 180 from itsinterior position to expose the entire back of the panel for access atthe exterior of the enclosing cabinet.

Figure is a detail'view on the line VV of Figure 3.

The swingout construction of the present invention is starting of directcurrent motors.

At the opposite-sides of the backfacetof theplate 3 are mounted a pairof angles 4 and 5 extending beyond the plate 3 bottom thereof. On themounted an angle 6, the upright 'legofwhich has a width substantiallythe same as the space between the rearwardly directed legs of the thelower ends of the angles 4 and 5 being bolted to'the-angle 6-by studs 7and the upper end of the angles 4 and 5 being bolted to suitablebrackets 8 on the top wall of the cabinet by studs 9.

2,769,940 Patented Nov. 6, 1956 2'. Intermediate the ends of the angles4'and 5 and on the rearwardly directed legs thereof are mounted pins 11,as

openings-through which the pinsextend to provide a pivotal mounting. Theupper ends of the straps 12 and 13 are provided with slots 14 throughwhich project pins 15 carried by brackets 16'rigidly mounted upon'theopposite side walls of the cabinet corners.

The rearwardly extending side plates 17 provide protective barriers.

with the angles 6, the slots 14 permittin'g'this tilting until the pins15 engage the upper ends' of the-slots. The posithe pins 11 with respectto the distributed weight ofthe panel and the elements mounted thereonso that the combined' mass of the panel is'substantially balanced aboutthe access of rotationgFigure 3 is'a stable position. To provide'thecomplete access to the back'of the panel it is rotated beyond theposition of Figure 3 through from its original position into theposition'of Figure 4- back' of: the panel panel by the pins 11 and alsoby the mounting of straps effort and preventing uncontrolled movementsof the parts whichniight result in damage. The invention also providesvarying degrees of accessibility in suitable positions, providing forthe forward tilted position of Figure 2, the horizontal position ofFigure 3 and the completely door, a panel within said enclosure, circuitcontrolling,

means mountedLonsaid panel andincluding manipulable and adjacent theirupper front elements at the back of the panel, means rigidly mountingsaid panel within the enclosure, means providing a rotatable axistransversely of said panel intermediate the top and bottom thereof, andmeans for automatically moving said axis providing means forwardly ofthe normal plane of the panel when the mounting means is releasedwhereby to provide for rotation of said panel adjacent to the entranceto the enclosure.

2. In a panel cabinet, an enclosure having an openable door, a panelwithin said enclosure, circuit controlling means mounted on said paneland including manipulable elements at the back of the panel, meansproviding a rotatable axis transversely of said panel intermediate thetop and bottom thereof, means rigidly mounting said panel within theenclosure independently of said axis providing means and releasable toprovide for forward movement of said panel while supported by saidmounting means, and means for supporting said axis providing means forrotation of said panel when the mounting means is released whereby toprovide access to the manipulable elements at the back of the panel.

3. In a panel cabinet, an enclosure having an openable door, a panelwithin said enclosure, circuit controlling means mounted on said paneland including manipulable elements at the back of the panel, meansrigidly mounting said panel within the enclosure, means providing a.rotatable axis transversely of said panel passing substantially throughthe center of mass of said panel and the means mounted thereon, saidaxis providing means being independent of said mounting means, and meansfor bodily moving said axis forwardly of its rigid mounting when themounting means is released whereby to provide for rotation of the panelabout said rotatable axis forwardly of the normal mounting position toprovide ready access to the manipulable elements at the back of thepanel.

4. In a panel cabinet, an enclosure having an openable door, a panelwithin said enclosure, circuit controlling means mounted on said paneland including manipulable elements at the back of the panel, meansproviding a rotatable axis transversely of said panel intermediate thetop and bottom thereof, means rigidly mounting said panel within theenclosure independently of said axis providing means, means connected tosaid axis providing means and providing for limited forward tiltingmovement of the panel about substantially the bottom thereof andforrotatable movement thereafter about the axis providing means to exposethe back of the panel at the front of the enclosure.

5. In a panel cabinet, an enclosure having an openable door, a panelwithin said enclosure, circuit controlling means mounted on said paneland including manipulable elements at the back of the panel, a pair ofarms at the opposite sides of the panel connected at one of their endsadjacent to the top of the enclosure and at the other of their ends tothe opposite sides of the panel intermediate the top and bottom thereof,all of said connections providing for rotary movement between the armends and the connected part, means rigidly mounting said panel withinthe enclosure independently of said arms and releasable to provide forforward movement of said panel while supported by said arms and forrotation of the panel thereafter about its pivotal engagement with saidother ends of the arms whereby to expose the back of the panel foraccess at the front of the enclosure.

6. In a panel cabinet, an enclosure having an openable door, a panelwithin said enclosure, circuit controlling means mounted on said paneland including manipulable elements at the back of the panel, a pair ofarms at the opposite sides of the panel connected at one of their endsadjacent to the top of the enclosure and at the other of their ends tothe opposite sides of the panel intermediate the top and bottom thereof,all of said connections providing for rotary movement between the armends and the connected part, at least one set of said connectionsproviding for lost motion between the arms and the connected part, meansrigidly mounting said panel within the enclosure independently of saidarms and releasable to provide for forward movement of said panel whilesupported by said arms and for rotation of the panel thereafter aboutits pivotal engagement with said other ends of the arms 'whereby toexpose the back of the panel for access at the front of the enclosure.

7. In a panel cabinet, an enclosure having an openable door, a panelwithin said enclosure, circuit controlling means mounted on said paneland including manipulable elements at the back of the panel, a pair ofpins mounted on the panel at opposite sides and intermediate the top andbottom thereof, a pair of arms mounted at opposite sides of the panelwith the lower ends of the arms rotatably engaging said pins, meansrotatably mounting the upper ends of the arms to the enclosure at theopposite sides of and toward the front thereof, means rigidly mountingsaid panel within the enclosure and releasable to permit movement ofsaid panel forwardly until limited by said arms and for rotation of saidpanel about said pin and arm mounting while supported by said arms toprovide access to the back of the panel at the front of the enclosure.

8. In a panel cabinet, an enclosure having an openable door, a panelwithin said enclosure, circuit controlling means mounted on said paneland including manipulable elements at the back of the panel, a pair ofangles mounted at the opposite sides of the panel, means at the top andbottom of the enclosure for rigidly mounting said angles, meansproviding a rotatable axis transversely of said panel and intermediatethe top and bottom thereof and means providing for limiting tiltingmovement of the panel about the engagement of the angles with the bottomof the enclosure when the angles are released, said last mentioned meanssupporting the panel at the rotatable axis when in its tilted positionand providing for further rotation of the panel about said rotatableaxis to further uncover the back of the panel for manipulation at thefront of the enclosure.

9. In a panel cabinet, an enclosure having an openable door, a panelwithin said enclosure, circuit controlling means mounted on said paneland including manipulable elements at the back of the panel, a pair ofmounting angles disposed at the opposite sides of the panel, means atthe top and bottom of the enclosure for rigidly mounting said anglestherein, said last mentioned means including an angle at the bottom ofthe enclosure having an upstanding leg engaging the legs of the mountingangles to prevent rearward and sideways movement of the bottom of thepanel, a pair of arms at opposite sides of the panel, said arms beingconnected to the enclosure at opposite sides of and toward the frontthereof and to the panel at its opposite sides and intermediate the topand bottom thereof, said arm connections being rotatable and providingfor limited lost motion connection to at least one of the enclosure andpanel, said panel tilting forwardly about the engagement of the mountingangles and the bottom angle when the mounting angles are released,

with the forward tilting movement limited by said arms,

said panel being thereafter rotatable about the engagement of the panelwith the lower ends of said arms whereby to expose the back of the panelto access at the front of the enclosure.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS1,129,389 Heller Feb. 23, 1915 1,243,784 Weesner et al Oct. 23, 19171,985,593 Allen Dec. 25, 1934 2,304,923 Jackson Dec. 15, 1942 2,335,581Cocanour Nov. 30, 1943 2,553,667 McNicol May 2, 1951 2,566,064 Keim Aug.28, 1951 2,636,929 Southwick Apr. 28, 1953

